Osteoporosis is an important healthcare problem. It is estimated that 24 million Americans are affected by osteoporosis and that osteoporosis led to $13.8 billion in healthcare costs in 1995. The risk of dying from hip fracture complications is the same as the risk of dying from breast cancer. For Caucasian females over 50, the risk of hip, spine, or distal forearm fractures is 40%. Osteoporosis is currently defined as a condition in which bone mineral density is greater than two standard deviations below the mean of a young healthy population.
Current techniques for screening individuals for fracture susceptibility are relatively inaccurate and/or pose risks to the patient. For example, the present preferred technique for diagnosis of osteoporosis is dual X-ray absorption (DXA), which measures the amount of mineral in the bone. In some patients, however, a low mineral content does not appear to lead to an increased risk of fracture. Additionally, DXA requires that the patient is exposed to ionizing radiation.